Improvement in railway-switches



M. H. DAVIDSON.

Railway-Switch.

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THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOT0 ,-L|TH.39 81.41 PARK PLACEJLY.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICES MINTER H. DAVIDSON, OF PRUNTYTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l63,364, dated May 18, 1875 application filed April 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MINTER H. DAVIDSON, of Pruntytown, Taylor county, West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad Frog Switches, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is designed to take the place of the ordinary frog on railroads; and consists of an adjustable rail and a lockinglever, the arrangement and operation of which constitute the novelty of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

A is the bed-plate, on which the adjustable rail rests. B is the adjustable rail. G are bolts, screws, or lugs, the heads of which act as stops, and limit the movement of the rail B. This rail is made (or has attached to it) a broad base-piece, D, designed to keep it in placewhen it is moved back and forth. E is the operating-lever, which is placed on one side ofthe track resting on the tie-timbers F and G, to which it is confined by the clips H and I. J is a slot in the lever, and K is a pin, which passes through the clip I and slot into the tie G. This allows the lever to play longitudinally through the clip. In the clip H are two oblique holes, H', (indicated by dotted lines,) which the rounded end of the lever enters, and is locked by the pin L. M is a rod,

which connects the lever with the rail. This rod is pivoted to the lever, as seen at N, and tothe rail or plate D, as seen at O.

As seen in the drawing, the adjustable rail corresponds with the rails P P ofthe track. To change it, so that it will correspond in position with the rails Q Q, the locking-pin L is withdrawn, and the lever is pulled back from the hole it now occupies, and is turned on its fnlcrum-pin K, which shifts the rail from the position it occupies to make it correspond in position with the rails Q Q, which brings the end of the lever to the other hole H in the clip, into which it is pushed and locked by means of the pin K, as before.

By this arrangement the adjustable rail cannot be changed or moved until the lever is unlocked and changed to the other hole in the clip H, and so on for each change made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An adjustable rail, B, with the plate D resting on the bed-plate A, having stops O and a lever, E, connected by bar M, the lever being changeable by means of the slot J and fulcrumpin K and holes H', substantially as and for the purposes described.

MINTER H. DAVIDSON.

Witnesses:

A. ARMSTRONG, JOHN H. DAvIs. 

